Improvement in gearing- and self-adjusting shafts



GEORGE B. HAMIJIN, CFv WILL-IMANTIC, CONNECTICUT. d

Leners Patent No.106,360, medi August 16, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN GEAR-ING- ANDSELF-ADJUKSTING' SHAFTS.

The ,Schedule referred to'in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE B. HAMLIN, of Willimantic, in the county of rWindham and State of Connecticut have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving-Gearing or Mechanism for Transmitting Power; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this application. v

My invention relates to a novel system oi' gearing or combination of mechanical devices'designed for the economic transmission of power and motion,

Previous t0 my invention various contrivances have beein devised, having for their object a convenient and economic transmission of the main driving or motivepower at a suitable velocity (of motion) to the m'achine to be driven, and numerous pa-tents have been granted on such driving-gearings, or mechanical movements, among which are some to' myself.

lIn all such appliances it has been understood to be very important to both avoid, as nearly as possible, all ii'iction (which is a'waste of power) and provide for a positive motion at any desired velocityrand to embody in a system `of driving mechanism all these requirements has been found very difficult.

I believe that the system which forms the subject of this application comes nearer to acomplete emhodyment of all these desirable characteristics than any heretofore devised.

My invention consists in the combination wit-h the shaft designed to receive the motive-power (or be driven) of two or more friction driving-wheels, the shafts or axes of which are geared together, and, also, in so arranging the shafting and the gearing that the parts will always adapt themselves to each other and compensate for anyinequalit-ics, as will be hereinafter more fully explained..

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe it more fully, referring by letters to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top viewof a system of driving-gearing embracing my invention;

Figurel 2 is a-side elevation of the, same; and

Figure 3 is a vertical sect-ion at the line x fr, fig. l.

In the several figures the same part is designated by the same letter of reference.

A represents any suitable frame, on which are hung and supported the working parts.

B is the main driving-shaft to which the motivepower is applied.

It is mounted in suitable boxes, cc, bolted to the frame A, and is provided with a friction driving-pulley, d, and a spur-gear, c, (keyed or otherwise fastened on.)

f is the shaft to which power and motion are to be communicated, or, in other words, it. is the driven shaft.

It is mounted in movable or swinging boxes, g, and has secured to it the friction-.roll H, which runs in contact with and receives motion from the driving- 'pulley d, and another similar pulley, I, which latter is of the same size as pulley d, and the shaft J of which is hung in vmovable or yielding boxes, k, pivoted to the frame A, as clearly shown. l

rIhese boxesk'are acted uponE by suitable springs, l, projecting from stationary stands, on, the offices of which are to hold or press the said boxes in one di-` rection to keep the pulley I up to its bearing against the roll H.

Of course, this spring pressure device (whichI have shown Acomposed of a rubber spring mounted, as shown and described,) may be otherwise devised in any manner to answer the purpose.

lOn the shaft J is keyed a spur-gear, E, which meshes into a gear, G,which is mounted to turn freely on the shaft f, and which also meshes into gear e.

The gears E, G, and e, are all the same diameter, as shown.

The operation of the mechanism, shown and described, will be understood to be as follows, viz

The motive power being applied to the shaft B, the

4trains of friction-wheels and gears are set in motion, and the motive power is transmitted from the friction-wheel l to the roll H of the shaft to be driven, (the spindle, for instance, of acircular saw,) while, at the same time, the said roll H is also driven by the wheel I, which receives its motion from the main shaft through the system of. gears e G E.

Thus, while the roll H is confined between the peripheries of wheels d and I, and receives motion and power from each, the said wheels d and I are at the saine time positively connected by the gears, so that they must necessarily' move with the same and a positive motion, and must exercise the same amount of leverage upon directly opposite points of the roll H.

It will be seen that by hanging the shaft f so that it is free to vibrate from av point, and applying the power. (through the wheelscl and 1,) at diametrically opposite points, said shaft is practically relieved of all friction, although the traction between the drivingpulleys and driven roll may be ever so great.

It will be seen that since the boxes of shaft f, and

also those of shaft J, are free to move, they will adjust themselves `automaticallyto suit any inequalities of rotundity of the wheels, and to compensate for wear of the parts.

Of course, as the shaft f serves merely as an axis for the gear G to turn upon, and as said gear has a like resistance offered on opposite sides and in oppoadjusting or yielding bearings.

rlhe effect and mode of operation of such an ar-V site directions, it runs with little or no friction, and yet constitutes a connecting link between the main and auxiliary drivingLwheels (l and I, such as renders the operations of the said wheel perfectly positive.

In lieu of the arrangement shown, the motive-power might be applied directly to the gear G, (not `to the shaft on which it turns,) and transmitted through gears E and c to the shafts of the two wheels d and -I. In this ease the shaft f would require t'o be hung in stationary boxes, and both of the shafts B and J in self rangement, it will he seen, would be substantially the same as of Vthat shownjn the drawino'. Y

It will be understood that numerous modifications Y in the amangement and proportions ef the devices may be adopted without departing from the spirit of my inventioll, and that, in lieu of two, a greater number of driving-wheels may bev employed, though the arrangementshown and described I have, so far,'dee'med the simplest and best for carrying out my invention, the main feature of which, it will be perceived, rests .in the idea of having the power lso applied (at opposite points) to the driven shaft, as to relieve its hearings of all frictions, while at the same time the friction-wheels,` through which the power and motion are transmitted, are positively connected' and ac with equal leverage and uniformity of motion upon the said .driven shaft.

rlhe employment, in combination with theshaft towhich power and motion is to be applied, of a series of*driving-wheels couneciednby gearing Vor, other positive working mechanism, and operating substantially and for the purposes set forth.

Also, the arrangement, with a ,series of friction-pulleys and gears, of yielding or self-adjusting shafts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. Inrtestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 22d day of April, 1870.

GEORGE BIHAMLIN, [nl s] Witnesses: f

WILLIAM R. PATTEN, P. W. HAsELTIs. 

